Photo by: Tank
R&B in the twenty-first century is synonymous with romance, sex, love, and Tank!
The nine-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum singer, producer, actor, creator of the R&B Money label, and the host of the fifth annual Urban One Honors has defined two decades of the genre with one essential album after another.
Photo by: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images
“For me, I’ve adjusted and lived through the changes with R&B,” the host of the fifth annual Urban One Honors host states. “R&B is back in an amazing place. There are so many R&B artists who have incredible careers. The title R&B Money speaks to how lucrative the R&B business is and how expensive the music is. However, relationships and love are expensive in terms of how much you have to emotionally and spiritually invest. The investment is worth it though. R&B is about relationships. Nothing gives you the blues like a relationship when it goes wrong. Nothing gets you more excited than a relationship when it goes right. It’s never changed for me. I’m still making R&B.”
His vocal fireworks have solidified his presence in the R&B realm.
The 46-year-old legend has amassed millions of streams along the road, won platinum records, and had sold-out concerts all over the world during his career.
Before he made the decision to become a singer, he focused on playing football in high school.
In his senior year, he decided to give up playing football and began his “mission to be a singer.”
The Baltimore native immediately began to make significant progress. By working hard, he attracted the notice of multi-platinum legend Ginuwine, who requested him to join him on tour as a backup vocalist. This led to him also performing for Aaliyah as her backup singer.
Tank was eventually signed to Blackground Records as an artist and writer because of his hard ethic and connection with the two (after they sang his praises).
The ease with which Tank and Aaliyah could collaborate led to his penning songs for her “Aaliyah” album before her tragic death.
“Me writing for Aaliyah was great because she actually called me and told me the kind of records she needed and felt like I could deliver them. And that’s exactly what I did,” he exclaimed.
His iconic gold-selling debut, Force of Nature, was made possible by these events, which occurred in 2001.
Photo by: Roger Kisby/Getty Images
It debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at position #7, and the song “Maybe I Deserve” even made it onto the Billboard Hot 100.
Tank has recorded five #1 debuts on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart of Billboard as well as five Top 15 entries on the Top 200. He has also appeared on songs with everyone from Chris Brown, Jeremih, The Game, and Kendrick Lamar, making him a highly sought-after collaborator.
In TGT, the General of R&B collaborated with Tyrese and Ginuwine, and their song “Three Kings” debuted at #3 on the Top 200.
Photo by: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
With “When We,” he achieved the biggest professional smash to date in 2017. It achieved platinum status, amassed over 100 million streams and 115 million views, and drew Ty Dolla $ign and Trey Songz for a powerful remix.
According to the Billboard and Mediabase Urban AC Charts, it was the “#1 Adult R&B Song of 2018” and the lone real R&B song to enter the Hot 100 throughout 2018.
He used this momentum to propel “Dirty” and “I Don’t Think You’re Ready” to the top of the Billboard Adult R&B Songs Chart with 2019’s Elevation.
Photo by: Paras Griffin/Getty Images
His universe has kept getting bigger for him. It covers playing in movies like Lifetime’s Lust: A Seven Deadly Sins Story, which Bishop T.D. Jakes executive produced, as well as the R&B Money Podcast and the YouTube reality series Babbs to the Bone. He is also expanding the R&B Money record label, which is home to Feather and other artists.
He put together R&B Money, his most ambitious collection of work to date, throughout 2021.
“When you hear the record, all I want you to say is, ‘This is a f***ing R&B album’. Take notes,” he concluded.
We cannot WAIT to see the General of R&B host the 2023 Urban One Honors! And please join us as we wish him a happy birthday!
Like TV One on Facebook and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter.
